Race to the Top
by sweet16994
Summary: Bella's rich, preppy and the Queen Bee of her school. Her father is senator and ignores her and his wife; she feels alone. Can Edward help her move on? Can they overcome the obstacles to be together or will the social classes get in the way? OOC AH BxE
1. Chapter 1

**Race to the Top**

**Chapter 1**

I was silently laughing at my parents while they read obliviously in their room. The thought they knew everything. They even sent servants into my room every 15 minutes to make sure I was still here. I could just hide my escape plan until they left. Tonight, I was going to escape through my three story window.

Tying one last sheet to my 'rope', I threw it out the window and listened to the satisfying _thwack_ as it hit the side of our three story house. Securely tying the other end to the base of my bed, I quickly slipped out of my window and slid to the ground below.

Running the quarter-mile to the main road, for our front yard was large and secluded, I let the wind whistling through my ears erase all thoughts in my head.

Arriving at the bus stop, I hopped onto the 8 o'clock SCAT bus. The driver revved his engine then winked at me.

I shuddered. An old man was hitting on me. Again. I was even dressed modestly! My auburn hair was down and gently waved to the small of my back. My dressed went to mid-thigh with a high collar to protect my neck from the August breeze.

Disgusted, I shoved past him but I could still feel other stares following me. I swiftly sat down in the back of the bus and took out my phone. Of course I had a text from Alice, my best friend.

"R U coming?" She had texted me.

"No srry. My parents wont let me," I quickly texted her back.

"haha since when has that ever stopped u?"

I smiled. She was right, of course. But I didn't want to hang out at The Club, the number one place to on a Saturday night. Not a Sunday night. I sighed. Alice was clubbing with a couple of friends like she did every weekend night.

My phone buzzed again.

"_well, ok. I guess ill c u 2moro then_," Alice texted after acknowledging the fact that I was not coming. I would probably have to pick her up at 2 in the morning.

I remembered the first time I went out to The Club with Alice. It was a wet night, with the rain pounding on the umbrella the driver held over us.

_Alice's black hair was still perfectly curled, where as mine had already started to fall back into its standard, gentle waves because of the humidity. _

"_I don't want to get my hair wet. My curls are already coming out," I had whined to Alice. She just told me not to worry, I still looked hot. The driver put the umbrella more over our head, so I was still dry when we arrived at the door. _

"_Welcome ladies. Come on in," the door man said with a smirk. Most girls who left the club were stumbling and drunk, clinging to whichever guy that was dragging them out with an expectant grin. _

_I hid my grimace. I only came because it was Alice's birthday and she literally begged me. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. I was curious to see what was at Alice's favorite place to make her go there every Friday, Saturday, and most Sunday nights. _

_And it had nothing at all to do with the fact that I was defying my parents and sneaking out for the first time. It had everything to do with that. _

_We danced to the booming music that shook the floor and I tried to hide my discomfort. I watched my friend down a third drink. I refused all alcohol. I stayed away from the men who were laughing boisterously and had the stale breath of beer still hanging to their every breath. Alice had no problem with it. She would sidle up to them and let go. When we finally left, she could not even stand straight. _

She had lost count of the number of drinks she had downed. I had drunk nothing and my mouth was dry. We had spent three hours there. I was only 13! Alice had just turned 14. I felt dirty, as if my innocence was lost. I saw things that I had not wanted to see at the age of 13.

Of course, I had never stepped foot into that club again. But I still would sneak out of the house on a daily basis. My parents were always furious when I got home.

That particular night, I had told them the truth. Not because I was the honest sort- I was not. But because I wanted to see their faces when they realized that their innocent little angel was clubbing for the last 3 hours, after sneaking out of the house under their noses. I laughed and swept my hand through my hair; it was already straight now. Then I stumbled over to the elevator as it slowly descended to the ground floor. As I watched the doors shut, I thought I saw a glimpse of pride in my father's face and one of regret in my mother's. But I was tired and was probably seeing things.

The bus lurched to a stop. I glared out the window as I heard the loud, booming music. I came here almost every night. Standing up, I walked down the steps. The bus driver winked at me. I almost gagged.

I quickly walked down the empty sidewalk to my favorite place. The sky glittered with the millions of stars. I saw the familiar oak tree that stood beside my bench; I saw it as my guardian angel. I passed the sign that said _Swanville Park_. It was generously donated by my father, Benson (or Ben for short) Swan.

I trailed my hand over the plaque with the engraving of my name, Bella Swan. It was donated in my honor for my 16th birthday. But I knew the real reason; my father was running for senator again.

But I forcefully shoved that thought out of my mind. I came here to think and escape the hectic life of my father and the hysterics of my mother.

Feeling the cool metal of the bench reminded me of when I was six and sitting on my father's lap. We were in Yosemite, sitting in the national park, watching the sun fall behind the red rocks of the canyon.

"_Daddy, what are those bright dots in the sky for?" I had whispered into the cool, September air. _

"_Darling, those are stars. They are millions of miles away. See this one? It's called Orion. And these three together are called Orion's Belt." He pointed to them as he said their names._

"_Why doesn't he just get pants that fit him? And how did he get up there?" My father's booming laughter echoed off the trees. _

"_Honey, not everyone can afford a personal tailor like we can." He said, still chortling from my comment. "But I don't know how he got up there. What do you think?"_

_A man in a business suit came up to us then. He looked very official, with the tight set of his mouth and the hidden secrets that laid his eyes. _

"_I think that you, Mr. Benson Swan, would make an excellent state senator," he said. My father moved me from the warmth of his leg to the cold metal of the bench. The difference was almost painful. _

_I was about to complain, but the glare that the man in the business suit soon shut me up. And I knew that my father was waiting to hear this news. So I sat quiet, like the good little girl I was. But I had most definitely not expected him to get up and leave me to talk with the man in a more secluded area. _

_So I was sitting there, cold and rejected. But then I looked up at the stars with my newly found information, and watched the way Orion's belt glittered in the sky. Sitting there completely still, I waited for my father to come back. _

And now I was sitting here, looking at the Jaspere stars while my mother and father were arguing over some inconsequential detail of the large Swan household. It was nothing new.

I sighed. My phone said it was 8:45. I hopped up and went to the SCAT bus. When I finally got home, it was 9 and the butler greeted me with a wary look. I knew I was in trouble. But I was in trouble every night, so it was nothing new.

Hoping to escape the tirade I was likely to get, over which my parents would begin arguing over, I slipped into the kitchen, looking for bread and butter, a simple, fulfilling meal. But luck was not on my side. My mother was at the foyer and was furious, but, though she hated to admit it, proud. With the new alarm system, security system and servants watching over me, I had still managed to escape the confines of the house.

"Where were you? What do you think you were doing? How did you manage to leave this house?" She ranted on and on and on about the time and the dangers. I knew the dangers of being out at night alone, but I had the police on speed dial and the park tended to be empty.

My mom's shrill voice snapped me back to reality. "Are you going to tell me where you went? Hello? Are you even listening to me?"

"Mother, relax. I'm fine. Anyway, where I went is none of your business," even though I knew that it was, but I was never in a million years going to admit that.

"Where do you go? You can't keep sneaking out at night. It's dangerous! Do you go different places each night? I don't understand you!" my mother wailed. But then her face hardened.

"Do you know what this is doing to your father's image? What if you get raped? Then I will be the one taking all the blame. If the media finds out that we can't even control our own daughter! I can see the headlines now! 'Swan, unable to control his daughter can't control a city'. My image will be ruined! I'll be the laughing stock at the Ladies Book Club! Richard! Richard! I need my pills!" She was gasping by the end of her speech. I patted her sympathetically on the back.

"Don't worry mom. Richard will take good care of you." Smirking, I scrambled to the elevator and it quickly took me to my room on the 3rd floor. I slammed the door and looked at my room. It was silent except for the shouting below.

I opened the window and stuck my head out. The cool air felt good on my face. I walked and opened all the windows in my room and turned left towards my bathroom. The gold lined mirrors and large marble bathtub were a little too extravagant for me. But we had lived in this house for 5 years, and I got nothing short of the best.

I wiped off all my makeup and looked at my plain, pale face. It was empty. My bright green eyes glowed with indignation. My silky hair that my mom insisted I get deep-conditioned monthly now crackled with life from running.

Stepping into the shower, I let warm water run down my back and into the drain; with it, went my worries. At least, for the moment.

When I was ready for bed with my teeth brushed and my Victoria's Secret pajamas on, I turned out the light.

I stumbled over the steps that led to the platform that held my king sized bed. The silk comforter was folded back, inviting me. Climbing under the soft sheets, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to find me.

When it did, I could only feel myself falling, my stomach dropping and my eyes burning. When I finally landed, there was no one there to catch me.

I awoke to the steady beeping of my TIMEX alarm clock. Six o'clock. I groaned and flipped onto my stomach, smacking the 'off' button. My widows were closed, which meant that Faith had closed them while I slept. We never got along, so I assumed she closed them just because I wanted them open.

The day seemed humid to me, but I could have cared less. I put on the customary school uniform- the white collared shirt and the grey and blue plaid miniskirt. The matching tie was pre-tied so I just pulled open the loop, slipped my head through, and tightened it. Then I slid into the 3-inch heels that were also part of the Hemingway High School's dress policy. We were now sophisticated school girls. With blisters on our feet.

My makeup was sitting innocently in their container on the bathroom counter. But I wanted to skip it today. So I smiled and attempted sneaking out after brushing my teeth.

When I reached the ground, my mother was waiting for me as the elevator doors opened. I was surprised; she was never up before seven. She must have been up for a while; she had a full face of makeup on.

"I'm not surprised you forgot to put your makeup on. You look like you just woke up from someone's bed. Though that's never going to happen anytime soon. No boys like you. And if you don't put makeup on this instant, than no boys ever will!" She never stopped saying this. It was like she _wanted_ me to wake up pregnant in some boy's bed. Though a lot of boys would love it if I did sleep with them.

So I just trudged back up to my room, taking the marble staircase this time, to do the myriad number of steps it took so I could finally leave the house. I remembered the first time my mom had told me I could wear foundation and the such. I had been so excited. Now, I rued that day with all my heart. Having to wear concealer every day did nothing for my self-esteem and even less for my appreciation of my mother's efforts. The only thing that kept me sane was that I knew my mother was trying _for_ me, not against me.

I took one last look at my face that now had 3-inch long eyelashes, glossy lips, and chocolate brown eyes that held all my sorrow brewing beneath their otherwise cheery surface. But I held my head up high and knew I should be thankful that I had a house and food.

Nearly the age of 17, I could drive myself to school. And that was something I was a strong advocate for, a battle that I had chosen to fight. And win. Having the privilege to drive myself to school was one I cherished. I refused to be driven around in a limo.

I drove a shiny white Ferrari, which was a step up from the black limo that my mother was driven around town in. But it was nothing new in this city, because I went to Herrington High School, the top ranked school in the country.

When I arrived at school, Alice was already waiting for me as I parked in the parking spot I claimed on the first day three months ago. She loved the life of a rich prep school girl; everybody did. So I was the only whiny girl who hated the money and fame of a famous father.

"Oh my god! Did you see them? Have you seen them? Well, a singular them. I mean him!" Alice's high-pitched voice squealed in my ear before I had even taken two steps.

I faked interest. I really didn't care. "Who?"

Before my best friend could say anything, a freshman walked by and complimented me. "You look really good today Bella. You always do." She blushed and waited for my reply.

"Thanks Cassie," I didn't see how she could say that. Everybody wore the Jaspere thing every single day! "So do you," I complimented her patiently. I flashed her a smile that was professionally whitened and was all over the covers of the local tabloids.

She giggled then rushed over to meet her friends that were waiting for her under the archway labeled 'freshmen'. And then I turned to Alice.

"Sorry, you were saying?" but Alice has ADD, though she vehemently denies it.

"See, you are the Queen Bee! Everyone wants to be your friend. You always say that you're not. But you are. Anyway, how do you know that freshman's name?"

I sighed. "I know every student's name, at least, in high school," I corrected myself. "They are always talking to me in the hallway even though I can't stand half of them! And the boys are even worse-"

Alice interrupted me, "Yeah, Erik won't leave you alone." She smirked because she knew I couldn't stand him.

"Shut up Alice!" I playfully shoved her in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" She was seriously asking me.

"Just get on with what you were saying," I demanded

"Can't. Look whose coming this way!" she giggled then bolted through the doors labeled 'juniors'.

I turned to see Mike and Erik making their way to me. I already rejected them as kindly as I could last week and now they were back. I guess I should not be so nice then.

"What do you guys want?" I spat at them.

Smirking, Mike said, "Oh, we were wondering if, maybe, you and your friend Alice would like to go on a-a date with us?" he turned the statement into a question, unsure.

I did not want to do this to them. They were nice enough boys. But I really had to get them off my back.

"I didn't know you and Mike were a couple. Congratulations!"

They turned bright red, "No! No, not like that!" they stuttered.

"Oh, then I'm sorry. If you're implying that I go out with one of you and Alice goes out the other and see a movie," I trailed off suggestively.

"Yes, yes! That's exactly what we mean!" Mike exclaimed, excited.

"Sorry, can't. I'm busy. And when will you leave me alone? I'm not your girl! And I'll never say yes to you!" with that, I huffed off into the junior's hallway, leaving the boys standing dumbfounded at my rejection. Which I couldn't see why; I rejected them every time they asked me.

But as I was rushing into the doorway, I bumped into something. Hard. Looking up, I scowled. A tall male model stood in front of me with sandy hair and piercing green eyes. I nearly gasped.

"Why are you standing in the door like that? Someone, like me, could be trying to get to class without running into someone," I snapped at him.

"Sorry. I'm new here. Edward Cullen," he said, his musical voice rang out over the screaming freshman outside.

I was in a bad mood. I could not help it, "Well watch where you're standing." And I brushed off my skirt and strutted to the other side of the long hallway that was lined with lockers and students beginning to arrive.

Realizing how mean I just sounded, I turned back to him.

"Sorry. That must not have made you feel very welcome. I was just having a really bad day." I apologized.

He looked up from his schedule and smiled. His teeth shone and his deep green eyes were sympathetic.

"Yeah, I heard your run in with that guy. Mike is it?" he had the nerve to be laughing at me!

"Yeah, Mike and Erik. They bother me every day." I averted my eyes to avoid his, which were suddenly wickedly amused. I did nott know what he was going to say, but I had the feeling it was not going to be something I liked.

"Humpf," I pouted.

Looking at the clock, I realized we were going to be late to class.

"We're going to be late. Where's your locker?" I asked him.

He looked grateful for my inquiry, "I'm in this hallway, I think. Number," he was shuffling through his papers and finally found it, "1118. You?"

"Considering that it's in numerical order, I'm right next to you," I said and started leading him towards the locker section we were in.

"Really?" he seemed excited again, "So, what's your last name?"

I would have liked for him to guess it, but he would only need to ask one person in this school and he'd soon have the answer.

"Swan. I'm Bella Swan, Senator Swan's daughter."

"No wonder you look so familiar!" I grimaced.

"I don't want my face all over the tabloids, but seeing how it's nearly election time, they'll use whatever they can against him."

"But aren't you a good daughter?" I struggled to keep my facial expression straight.

We finally arrived at our lockers, "Oh look, we're here. I've got to go to class. Mr. Mason would kill me if I was late again," and I scrambled off for class.

**Edward's Point of View**

I watched her stalk off toward class, nervous and awkward. But she was beautiful. Stunning would be more correct. It was so nice of her to stop and help me. Most of the other girls only asked me on dates or something. I think the word was to 'hook up.'

Anyway, I would have loved to ask Bella on a date, but it was probably too soon.

And what did she mean when she didn't answer my question whether or not she was a good girl? She seemed to be a good girl. But then a petite girl with blonde hair appeared.

"Oh my god, were you just talking to Bella? Bella Swan?" She exclaimed, excited over something.

"Well, yeah. There were words coming out of our mouths, right?" I asked sarcastically. Who was this girl and what right did she have butting into my personal life?

She sniffed. "I'm Lauren DeVaren and you were just talking to Bella Swan on your first day of school!" she squealed, the volume of her voice rose with each word she said.

"Point?" I asked, impatient. I didn't want to be late to class on my first day of school.

"The point is that Bella doesn't talk to anyone outside her group!" she screeched; Lauren was practically bouncing now.

"Wha-what do you mean? She seemed nice enough to me…" I trailed off, confused. Could that nice, beautiful girl really be-? But I stopped before I thought that. That's why I left Las Angeles. I hoped that here it would be different.

She looked at me with her eyebrows raised. "What class do you have first?"

I looked at my schedule. It said some teacher named Johnson. "Um, Mr. Johnson."

If she smiled any bigger I was afraid her face might crack. "Sweet, so do I," she said and led me down the nearly empty hallway to the classroom at the end of the hall.

When I entered, the female students looked me up and down and smiled, while the male students scowled. I could tell this would be a long year.

"Ah class, here is our new student, Mr. Edward Cullen. Please take a seat Mr. Cullen next to… Lauren."

As I made my way down the aisles, the girls suddenly sat up and stuck out their chest while the guys just slumped down in their seats and glared at me, daring me to look. But I was raised with morals and knew that it would be improper. So I kept my head up and plopped down next to Lauren, which opened the floodgates.

"So, do you play football? Well, it doesn't matter. Actually, it kind of does. So you know Bella right? Of course you do, you were talking to her. Anyway, she's like, the queen bee of the school. Totally hot. At least that's what guys tell me. And to her friends she super nice. She's actually like super nice to like everyone. But anyway, her best friend Alice is going out with the star quarterback on the football team. Cause she's the beta. So Bella has to top that cause

she's alpha. But she doesn't seem like she cares. She's not even going out with anyone anyway. Though I'm sure she has."

I asked, afraid of the answer, "Has she gone out with many people?"

"Well, yeah. She's kind of a slut. Well, not really. She went to The Club when she was 13. So I assume that she's gone there again."

"Are you good friends with her?" I inquired. She seemed to be all-knowing.

But a brunette interrupted. We were whispering because class just started. "She wishes. Everyone knows about Bella Swan. She is the senator's daughter. Her mom's a semi-famous designer too. And all the guys like her cause, well, you've seen her. I'm Jessica by the way," she said. She could tell I was about to introduce myself but she stopped me before I could, "Yeah, I know who you are. Everyone's been talking about you."

Wow. Word spread fast. But then Lauren was called on for an answer and class droned on and on after that.

When the bell finally rang, I jumped out of my seat.

"Do you know where your next class is?" Jessica asked, beating Lauren to the punch. These girls were really helpful. Or so I told myself.

"Yes, I have gym next period, but thanks anyway," I turned to leave. But I heard shrieking behind me. "What?"

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh. My. God!" Lauren was beyond words.

"What? Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Well, you have class with Bella next period." She said suddenly nonchalant.

"Oh, really? That's cool. Hey, how do you know her schedule? Isn't that kind of stalkerish?" I asked, worried about her now.

"No. Everyone knows Bella's schedule. But don't worry, she's safe. Oh, and by the way, she doesn't go out with," she stopped, trying to find a word, "newbies. People new to the system. You're going to have to join the football team or something before she even gives you a second look."

I sighed and walked out the hall doors, across the grass to the large gymnasium. I was greeted by a large burst of cold air.

When I put my stuff in the changing room and went into the courts, I saw I was among the first out. I guess people liked to take their time. I had thought I was going to be late because I spent so long talking to Lauren and Jessica. I could tell they weren't 'in' the system but really wanted to be.

But I was disappointed. Bella didn't seem to be the type to be 'queen bee' of the school. She was too nice. But thinking back to her original comment, she could be mean. But she apologized. That counted for something, right?

My musing was interrupted by Coach Clappman. "Ah, I see we have our new student here. Here's your volleyball uniform. I'd give you a choice, but we're short on volleyball players. Go change and come back out." Then he started to hit on the two girls that were already there. Disgusting.

I saw that the uniform was a pair of baggy pants and a jersey with the name Cullen and number 6. When I was done changing, I went out, dreading it.

I was good at volleyball, but I didn't want to talk to or see Bella again. What I learned about her was enough. She was one of those girls. One of the girls that I wanted to escape from in Las Angeles.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't with me. She was in my class. But, at least she didn't notice me. She was surrounded by a group of girls excitedly talking to her. Bella was just standing there, basking in all her glory. She was smiling and talking about the new line that came out for Marc Jacob.

She looked up and saw me. She smiled so her eyes would sparkle, unlike the smiles she had for her friends. I must be seeing things. She does not have a special smile for me.

But I just ignored her and walked away. She looked confused, but one of her groupies dragged her back into the conversation again.

Coach Clappman blew his whistle and shouted, "Class, today we have a new student. He'll be on your team Janet. Begin."

Wow. I expected more time to warm up or something. But everyone got onto their teams. It was Janet versus Bella. I could not wait to see the look on her face when we creamed her team.

I was so naïve. I should have known that she was good at volleyball. Amazing at it.

She stepped up to the serving spot and shouted, "Serving. Zero to Zero," and hit the ball over the net so it hit the line at the farthest back of the court exactly. It was in but just barely. She smirked when my mouth dropped open.

"No hard feelings Cullen. You couldn't have gotten it anyway," she said over the net, her eyes clouded with hurt.

"Great Cullen! What did you do to her on your first day of school?" Janet hissed at me while the rest of the team openly glared at me.

"Huh? No-nothing!" I was uncomfortable with their glares. If looks could kill…

"Nothing! You call that nothing?" she pointed to the line where the ball had hit.

"I'm sure it was just a coincidence. There's no way she can hit the line every time." I said but the second the words were out of my mouth I knew they were not true.

"She normally serves it to us so we at least have a chance. And she's normally the last to serve. We all know none of us pissed her off. That leaves you, new boy."

"So? It's just volleyball. We can still try." I said, but I had the feeling that it would be hard.

Bella served the ball again, "Serving, one to zero," she hit the ball to the line exactly again. I was the only one who lunged for the ball. The rest of the team just stood there, impassive.

"Nice catch Cullen," Bella said while my team gave me glares that said 'see? I told you it was your fault.'

"Hey, what did I do to you?" I was mad that she was taking out her anger on me.

But some pixie with spiked blonde hair yelled at me, "Dude, you ignored her for no reason. Get that part? NO REASON!"

I looked at Bella. This was why she was mad at me? Because I ignored her? Rich, spoiled brat! But I knew she wasn't…she was so nice to me in the hall.

The next thirty minutes passed and Bella's team beat us twenty-five to zero. Twice.

Janet came up to me and said, "See, I told you she could hit it on the line every time," and then she pushed past me.

I almost groaned. Today was going to be a very long day.

I was right. When I found my way into Mrs. Benson's class, all the girls were glaring at me for upsetting their 'leader' and the guys were smirking.

"Don't worry man. She'll get over it soon. Oh, I'm David by the way. David Ackerman."

I smiled. Finally today was looking up. But then Janet took the seat in the back, leaving only one next to me.

"This is what you get for making us lose in volleyball!" she hissed in my ear as she passed me. I was confused. I didn't mind having an empty seat next to me. But when I saw Bella walking in, I understood.

She would have to sit next to me. And she, of course, did not know that it was Janet's fault. So she stalked in and plopped down in the seat, not even bothering to glare at me.

Taking out a sheet of paper, I wrote something down and threw it at Bella.

_**Hey I'm sorry about ignoring u. I had heard something about u..**_

She looked confused when she felt something hit her elbow, understood and rolled her eyes, and then read it. A flash of surprise crossed her face before she quickly scribbled something back.

_What did u hear about me? Who told u? and do u rlly believe it?_

_**Well, yea it seems kinda realistic…I think this girl called Jessica told me**_

_Yea it was probably her. shes always wanted to be my friend but she was fake..plastic_

_**And ur not? Not in an offensive way, but rnt u like, the 'queen B' of the school?**_

_Haha no not rlly. im just rlly liked and ppl think they have 2 like me bcuz of my father. Alice is probably the Q B. bt I do do revenge and I like it…hehehe_

_**Ohhh I guess that makes sense. Whats with the ignoring me thing and the vball thing tho?**_

_Like I said, I like revenge. And u ignored me 1st and Janet was rlly getting on my nerves_

_**Y? she got rlly pissed me 4 making u mad. What did u do? Ur rlly good vb btw**_

_She wont leave me and Alice alone and she was hitting on my previous bf Jack I swear they were sneaking around. Btw, thx :)_

_**Oh what happened 2 jack? I don't think theres any 'jack' here**_

Hahaha that was fun, anyway u havent been here long enuf 2 have met every1 tho this is a small school and I kinda ran him out of the school

I was suddenly frightened. Since he probably broke her heart, she ran him out of school? Wasn't that a bit…evil? If she ever gave me a chance to be near her heart, I had better be very careful with it. But I doubted that would ever happen.

She snatched up the paper from under my hand, impatient with my delayed response.

Dude I didn't do anything. I just ignored him so all my 'groupies' ignored him 2 so he didn't have any friends. Its cuz he was on the bball team and his team mates were going out w/ my friends so they told their bfs that they couldn't talk 2 jack or that they would dump them. I swear I had nothing 2 do with it

When I read it, I actually believed her. I don't know why, but she just seemed so…innocent? And she was nice. Before I could dwell more on it, the Mrs. Benson called on us.

"Ms. Swan, Mr. Cullen! Do you have something you'd like to share with the class?"

Bella spoke up, after looking up from her 'notes', "What are you talking about? We are merely passing notes," I was shocked. Was she really going to get us in trouble? Did she hate me that much? "about the material. We didn't want to disrupt your class so we did it quietly. I'm sorry."

Mrs. Benson was speechless. Then she turned her beaky face to us, "Of course dears. I'm sorry. Ahh, um, oh yes! This is a timeline showing…" she droned on.

My mouth had popped open. Wow, Bella was special. She smirked.

But then the bell ringed for lunch. We jumped out of our seats, eager for lunch. I followed Bella to our lockers. People stared at us. They had obviously heard about the 'fight' that we had. And the volleyball game. Oh well, I guess they had to be faster to hear about our 'makeup'.

"So, how's your first day going so far?" she asked as we idly placed books in our lockers.

I laughed. "Great. Well, with the exception of volleyball." She didn't even have the decency to look ashamed.

"It's a prep school. I will admit I have a lot of influential power though. With friends like mine, you don't need bodyguards. You need to get to the top or have connections. Now, you have connections." With that, she swept out of the room. I was stunned.

When she was nearly at the door of the cafeteria, she turned and asked, "You coming or what?"

I nodded and scampered after her. When we reached the doors, she held out her hand to motion me to stop.

"Walk next to me, not behind me. I want to give them the right message."

"And what might the right message be?"

"That you're a friend, not a groupie."

"Even the guys want to be a 'groupie'?" But looking over her body, I realized why.

"Exactly."

And we walked into the cafeteria. It was amazing the effect she had on people. People who were weating and pretending to be gagging suddenly sat up straighter and girls started talking about clothes and shoes; guys began bragging about all the girls that they had managed to hook up with. Even the emo kids were making an effort to impress Bella.

"Wow, you have quite an effect on people," I stated, amazed.

She shrugged, "People want to be 'cool'," she made air quotes around the word, "and want to fit in, and they think that I'm the 'Queen Bee'," she made air quotes again, "so they think they'll talk about stuff I like instead of being themselves," she said matter-of-factly.

"Do you like what you hear?" I asked skeptically.

"Well, I've already heard it all. But if I really like a certain designer's line that's out, then I'll comment. But the guys, they disgust me. I don't care how many girls they've been with or what they've done with them. It disgusts me. Anyway, I'm saving myself for marriage."

Then she veered left to nearly empty table in the center of the room. The people at the table were all very preppy. They wore the uniform, but the makeup seemed professional and the hair accessories matched perfectly. Their smug expressions were on their faces as if they were born with them there. The only one that seemed truly happy, and she was a jittery girl with black hair.

"Hey guys, this is Edward. Edward, this is Alice," she pointed to the dark-haired girl with a blue headband that had an obnoxious bow on top, "Jasper," a large, muscular boy with blonde hair, "Rosalie," a beautiful Caucasian with gorgeous blonde locks, "and Emmett," a tall, buff guy who was probably on the basketball team.

"Hey man, what's up?" the guy named Jasper asked. He seemed to be the amiable sort.

"Hey," Rosalie said, questioning Bella with her eyes.

"Hey dude! You should, like, join the b-ball team with me! Dude that would be fun!" Emmett boomed.

"Oh my god! See Bella this was who I was talking about! This is the new kid! You know, you showed no interest when I talked about him, but now you bring him to the lunch table!" Alice practically screamed.

"Yea, I can't be interested in every guy you think is hot. Anyway, he seems nice enough. Now we'll just see if he's smart enough." Bella replied coolly.

The whole cafeteria was intrigued. Everyone at the table was oblivious. But then noise broke out like a brook from a damn. I caught some sections of the conversations.

"She lets the new kid sit at the table? But I've been trying to be her friend for 3 years now! Life is so unfair!"

"Wow, he is hot. No wonder Bella brought him to their table. This is the first time that The Five will become, like, The Six!" one blonde said.

The brunette next to her said, "I guess. She lets her previous boyfriends sit there, but they never last. But is she really going to go out with a newbie?"

"Edward my man!" I looked up. It was David, "Dude I didn't know you had connections here! First day and you sit at that table!" he tried to sound cool about it, but I could tell he was hurt. And a little jealous.

"No, I never met her before today. But I guess this is her way of making up for the volleyball thing," but David was shaking his head.

"You're wrong. Even she wouldn't go so far as to bring you to her table. I guess you're their new project. Hope you have the grades to stay in," then he left.

"Edward? Edward!" Bella shouted in my ear. I was startled and jumped.

"Finally! Anyways, I was thinking about having a party for you. Can you come?" Alice asked. I was shocked. They accepted me so quickly?

Before I could answer, Bella got up, "I'm going to go grab a bite to eat. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable," and then she walked off to the line, where people instantly let her go in front of them. But she refused and started talking with the little redhead at the end.

I pulled up the closest chair that was graciously given to me by some guy named Austin.

"How can you guys be so nice already? I just met you! Not like I object," I tacked on quickly. I didn't want them hating me. Image what Alice would do if she was worse than Bella…

Rosalie raised her eyebrows, while Alice hastened to explain.

"Well, we have The Three. Bella, me, and Emmett. We've been bffs forevs. Anyways, Rosalie here joined us recently. She was a project and we made her popular like us. Then she caught Emmett's eye and now they've been going out. Jasper here is just amazing for the part. He's the captain of the soccer team and star quarterback of the football team and he keeps straight A's. That's also a requirement. Actually, there's kind of a lot. Like, you've got to be hot, smart, sociable, sixteen or older-" she stopped when Bella came back. Her tray had an Evian water bottle and a box of pizza.

"Are you telling him the requirements?" she said, seemingly disgusted.

"Well, since you won't, I will," Alice snapped back, not missing a beat.

"People just think we have a list. We don't actually have one."

"Yes we do! Anyway, you've agreed with some of them. Like, we made the sixteen or older rule for you."

"And don't forget being smart."

"Yea, but the rest are true. Me and Emmett agreed," Alice said and shrugged.

"It's Emmett and I Alice," Bella said, giggling.

"Oops, always getting that rule wrong."

I interrupted. "So, let's say that you," I looked at Alice, "wanted to go out with someone. Would they be allowed to eat here?"

"Yea, but they wouldn't be accepted unless we'd been going out for more than six months and my friends liked him."

"But why should your friends have the say? Shouldn't you?" I retorted.

"They're the ones who have to sit with him forever. But if I still liked him, I would just sit with him at a different table. We talked this all through. Well, Bella, Emmett and me. No grudges either. Like, if you're mad at someone, then you can't just say no cause your mad. You have to mean your response." Alice shrugged again, before taking some of the pizza from the box. She had made a mistake in her grammar again, but no one bothered to correct her.

"Okay, hold on. I have a lot of questions for you guys," I stated.

"Okay, fire away," this time Bella said it.

"Um, aren't you, like, worried about your weight? It's good that you're not and all, but a lot of girls I know are, so I assumed. And you're all sticks."

Rosalie replied, "No. Emmett and Jasper are star players and Bella, Alice and I go to the gym weekly. Anyway, why waste your life worrying about calories?"

Moving onto the next question. "Why do you have the rules and stuff?"

Emmett answered this time. "Well, we've got to have rules to keep people away. Or else everyone would want to join us."

"But why can't you just be, like, normal?" I was looking blindly for words, but they understood anyway.

Bella looked resentful and uncomfortable, but answered, "Mallory and Daniella were the Queens before. But they were total…brats," she said, smirking when she realized her word choice.

"And?" I was interested.

"Well, they ruled the school with an iron fist. You can't do this, you can't do that. They thought they could get away with everything. It got out of hand when they started sleeping with every guy and everyone, including half the guys wanted to, well, 'rebel'," she made air quotes. "Oh, they were blonde cheerleaders. But when I saw Mallory and Daniella in Mr. Barner's classroom, they were doing some…not so appropriate stuff. So when we had a…cat fight, I brought it up in front of the whole school. They were expelled and Mr. Barner went to jail. Nobody cared because nobody liked him or Daniella or Mallory. So everyone started attacking us to be our friends, then people started copying us and sooner or later we found ourselves here, at the top of the social ladder. This was three years ago. We never really minded," she said, but her eyes contradicted her statement.

But I understood why people thought Bella was the Queen Bee. She was the one who overthrew Lauren and Jessica, but she didn't think she was because her heart wasn't in it. She was only there for her friends.

There was a silence before a girl who was obviously Goth walked by.

"Bella! Oh my god, I was looking all over for you!" she squealed.

"Hey Matilda. You know where to find me, I sit here every day," she said as she smiled.

"Oh, yea. Well, I was wondering what I should wear to the party."

"What party?" Bella asked, pretending to be confused.

"You know, the one for Edward. Cause he's new and all. I heard Alice say something."

Bella glared at the girl Matilda. "Well, first of all, you shouldn't be eavesdropping, second, you shouldn't assume you're invited, and third, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Matilda cowered back. "S-sorry."

Bella sighed then apologized. "Sorry Matilda. Bad day. Mike and Eric caught me at lunch. Anyway, I'll myspace you the info, okay?"

If Matilda smiled any bigger, her face would crack. "Thanks Bella! See you tomorrow!"

"No, I won't. Tomorrow's Saturday!" Bella exclaimed.

Matilda laughed at her mistake. "Oops, my bad. Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?"

I suddenly listened closer. I had wanted to ask if Bella was busy over the weekend. Oh well, I'd get an answer nonetheless, whether or not if I asked or if this girl asked.

"Stupid senator's party. My dad's inviting some congressmen and big people. I have to go and show off for them. Wish I didn't." Bella's eyes suddenly darkened and went flat. They were no longer the bright, sparkling brown, but a darker shade of jade that showed no emotion.

No wonder people were afraid of her. If she was like this when she was sad, what would she be like if she was mad? I hoped I would never have to see her mad.

But then the bell rang again and everyone rushed out to get to class on time. Bella was lost in the push of the crowd and I was lost standing by the table as people shoved by me. It was soon empty and I made my way down the hall.

**This story will only have 2 chapters because this is my old school project that I decided to Twilight-ify and add. Sorry if they're mistakes; I skimmed it and edited the first half (22 pages and 8, 200 words)**

**I know they're really OOC too but....**

**So please review! If I get enough reviews/ feedback to continue, then I'll edit the second half and post it ASAP!**

**So, Please review and tell me if I should continue!**

**P.S. It's a pretty mellow story...**


	2. Chapter 2

Race to the Top

**Chapter 2**

**Bella's Point of View**

As I sat down in Chemistry, I felt awful for leaving Edward. But Alice had pulled me away to talk to me, and Edward was soon lost in the crowd.

I was very surprised when he walked in. I smiled and waved my hand for him to join me at my table.

The second he sat down, I started apologizing, "I'm so so _so_ sorry for leaving you Edward! Alice grabbed hold of my arm and then everyone started pushing and talking and by the time I got free, I was going to be late for class, but I tried going back to lunch, but Mrs. Anderson wouldn't let me and I swear I didn't-"

He cut me off before I could continue. He said, "No problem. I made it didn't I? Don't worry about it honey." He blushed.

But I was shocked. Did he really just call me honey? Did he like,_ like_ me?

But then Mr. Culter called the class to order, "Class, settle down. Now, I'm sure you've met our new student, Mr. Cullen." The class nodded. "Good, then no introduction needed. Open your books to page 349 and…" he continued. I sighed. He was a no nonsense kind of teacher that was very boring. Hopefully, sitting next to Edward would make the term more bearable. At least I liked the subject though.

We watched a movie that day about molecules and the bonds they shared with each other. Though I normally found this class interesting, I was bored today.

Halfway through the movie, something hit my elbow. It was a piece of paper.

_**do u actually like this class?**_

Yes! Chemistry, well science is my favorite subject.

_**Whats ur least fave?**_

Ugh math. Well geometry

_**Seriously? I love geometry. Hold on, ur a senior, rnt u suppose 2 b in like calc?**_

g thx way 2 make me feel smart. Im dyslexic w/ #s so im in geometry now the rest of my classmates r in precalc fyi

_**oh when do u have math?**_

Instead, I just gave him my whole schedule. Everyone knew it anyway.

1st -geo, 2nd Clappman-gym, 3rd Benson-ss, 4th lunch, 5th Cutler-chemistry, 6th Zinkle-spanish, 7th Johnson- la

He looked it over then scribbled his down.

_**1**__**st**__** Johnson, 2**__**nd**__** Clappman, 3**__**rd**__** Benson, 4**__**th**__** lunch, 5**__**th**__** Cutler, 6**__**th**__** Graham, 7**__**th**__** Zinkle**_

Yea I noticed. Im in like, 4 of ur classes

_**Haha yea so u got any siblings?**_

Nope. Glad 2.

_**Y? I wish I had siblings**_

Wouldn't want 2 inflict my mom on any1 else

_**O shes that bad?**_

shes always telling me 2 wear more makeup, lose w8, etc etc. she only cares abt her and my fathers image

_**I doubt that. She probably rlly cares abt u**_

w/e and I doubt that. Next subject pls

_**haha so lauren said u went 2 the club when u were 13. what exactly is the club?**_

I looked at the paper and winced. Great, he'd heard about that.

*sigh* it was a huge mistake. Alice convinced me 2 go cuz it was her bday and all. The club is the place 2 hang out on a fri or sat nite. I h8d it. 2 loud, 2 many ppl

_**Claustrophobic?**_

No. wow ur a good speller…

_**Yea I won the national spelling b in 4**__**th**__** gr8**_

haha I lost 2 this guy in 4th gr8, I h8d him 4evr lol he was Zack something or other

_**Hahaha its not his fault hes smarter than u tho I cant image any1 who is**_

Um lets c. U and the rest of r gr8

_**How? If ur talking abt math, its nt ur fault ur dyslexic and its smart 2 recognize this prob instead of failing precalc anyway, r u sure u h8 math? Or is it just that ur handicapped in it? I kno I h8 chemistry cuz I can nvr remember everything**_

Um..come 2 think of it I guess not. But I h8 proofs!!

_**Hahaha once u get them, ull like them**_

w/e u h8 chemistry? I love chemistry!! Its so interesting w/ the molecules and stuff

_**rlly? Wow ur such a geek lol**_

I covered my mouth with my hand to contain my laughter in the back of my throat. I had never been called a geek before. I liked it.

Suddenly, the shrill ringing of the bell broke through the monotone voice of the movie. I jumped up but tripped on the rung of my chair. I was falling and braced myself for the impact of the ground.

But I felt warm arms catch me, and I looked up just to start falling into the dark depths of Edward's green eyes.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly. God, what was happening to me?

When I saw Edward looking at me with an unfathomable look in his eyes, I realized what was happening. I was falling in love.

_No_! Some voice in the back of my mind screamed. I had just met the guy! And it was most certainly not love at first sight!

I straightened up and walked to Spanish class in a daze.

"Hola Señorita Swan ¿Cómo está?" Mr. Zinkle asked as I walked into the classroom.

"Bien, gracías. ¿Y usted?" my voice sounded different. More upbeat.

"Bien, gracías," then he turned to announce to the whole class, "¡Hola clase!"

As class continued, I was thinking about Edward. Was I in love? I mean, he was hot. And nice, and smart and sweet. I groaned and suddenly didn't feel well. Even though I wasn't into everything that Alice and people were into, I knew I had a reputation to uphold.

I was confused though. Shouldn't I be happy? Or should I call it a 'one day fling' and ignore Edward if I knew what was good for me? But if I went out with Edward, the newbie, then what? Why did I care anyway?

**Edward's Point of View**

I walked into Mrs. Graham's math class, pre-calc. I was oblivious to everyone else's staring. All I could think about was Bella and her chocolate brown eyes. When they sparkled, shone, and even went flat and angry, she was beautiful.

When school was finally over, I saw Bella talking to some friends on the steps outside the door marked juniors' Even though there wasn't supposed to be loitering on school campus, Bella could sweet talk her way out of any trouble.

I started walking towards her; she didn't see me yet. But I was soon stopped by two girls- Lauren and Jessica.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! You like, got her mad, then like, in like, the Jaspere day, you like, got to sit at, like, her lunch table!" Lauren squealed with excitement.

"Ya, ever since that Jake kid like, broke her heart, she like, never went out with guys and she like, would never bring in new 'projects'." Jessica exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"What happens once they get tired of the 'projects'?" I was curious. They could not have had many projects.

"Well, once they've and the school has accepted you and then you do something that is unknown to everyone else, then you go off by yourself to start a second clique but you can never turn against them. And you can't make a new clique and you can't ever tell the steps slash secrets slash stuff you did with them!" Jessica gushed in one breath.

"So, what cliques are there?" I asked, curious. How many little minions had they made?

"Kaitlyn, Ally and Kim. There have been a lot of projects but they all got rejected. I don't know why. Like, Danielle, she was a project then she suddenly wasn't allowed to sit at the table. And Bella knows everything! It's kind of creepy. And then there was-" Lauren said but was cut off by Jessica who wanted to continue.

"Yea, there was Sydney. She made it through to start her own clique but then it was crazy. She tried to overthrow Bella and Alice but she left school after being publicly embarrassed."

I raised my eyebrows. "What happened?"

Lauren replied, "Well, they tried embarrassing Bella and Alice and Emmett before school which started a battle. Then that day, Bella was like, 'At least we don't have to do things with the principle to stay here cause my grades are so bad.' And then Sydney's boyfriend left her and the principle got arrested and her groupies hated Sydney anyway cause she was always calling people sluts and stupid. Very similar to Mallory's situation, come to think of it."

"Oh, um-," I started to say but was interrupted by Jessica.

"Yea I don't know how she found out. It's like, amazing!"

I wanted to catch Bella before she left and ask what she was doing Sunday. When I looked up, she was walking off to her car with a couple of girls I had never seen before.

"Bella! Bella!" I shouted over the nearly empty parking lot.

She looked up and I saw, gratefulness? I must be seeing things.

She said, "Edward! Hey, what's up? How was your first day of school beside this morning?" then she saw Jessica and Lauren, who practically had their mouths open.

"Oh, hey Jessica, Lauren."

Lauren began to whisper loudly to Jessica who whispered in return.

Bella smiled kindly at them.

"Bella, will you make us your new project?" Lauren blurted out, then blushed and looked ashamed. Apparently, no one wanted to seem too desperate to actually ask that.

"That's not my thing. I don't look for projects. That's Alice's job." My beautiful angel said. Wait, what? She wasn't mine. No matter how much I wanted her to be.

"Oh but you're like, the leader! Come on, please? We want to be like you!" Lauren begged. She was about to get on her hands and knees.

But Bella laughed it off. I gasped. Her laugh was…breathtaking.

"Like I said, Alice's job," but we all knew Bella had more than enough influence to make them a project. We could all see she was letting them down kindly, "But I can invite you to a party that's next Saturday."

Lauren jumped up and was about to hug Bella before Jessica put out a hand and shot her a warning look.

"We'd love to, but we have plans. Maybe we can catch up later?" Jessica said coolly. I could see where this was going. She wanted to appear busy so Bella would think she was cool and beg her to come. I could tell that my…angel would never beg.

"Is that so? Well, the football, soccer, basketball, and softball team will be there. Your loss." Bella knew what was going on too, so she gave them an offer that they had to refuse because they were 'busy.'

"Oh, no we can surely dump our other plans!" Jessica said, regretful.

"No, no, no. You shouldn't cancel on your friends. That's rude." And with that Bella grabbed my hand and walked to the car.

I felt a shock of electricity jolt through my hand when she touched me. Did she feel it too?

When we finally reached her car, my mouth almost dropped. She had a nice ride! It was a brand new Ferrari. I could tell because of the way it smelled-like leather.

"Sweet ride!" I couldn't stop myself- the car needed to be complimented.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Typical boy. And here I thought you were so different from everyone else."

"Sorry, the car needed to hear it."

"Oh, I'm having a private get-together Saturday. Can you come?"

I was shocked she was asking me. And didn't she have a party to go to on Saturday?

"Don't you have a senator's party to go to on Saturday?"

She shook her head and laughed.

"I lied. Big deal. She really wants to go shopping with me because of my impeccable taste in clothes that no one gets to see. Call me okay? My number is 928-7263."

And then she was in the car and speeding away before I could even register that fact she had just given me her number. I quickly added it into my phone before I forgot it, then hopped into my Mercedes and sped away.

When I got home, my parents, Esme and Carlisle, asked me how my first day was. I said it was fine, even though it was amazing. After doing my homework and eating dinner, I dreamed of Bella and her brown eyes.

**Bella's Point of View**

"Mom! I'm home!" I shouted when the butler opened the two mahogany doors for me.

Setting my bag down, I decided to grab an afternoon snack from the kitchen.

Going down to the kitchen, I asked Faith, the serving maid to please get me an apple. We were never exactly on good terms, but I was having a really good day so I decided to smile. She looked stunned.

Eating on the counter where the servants usually ate, I looked around and watched Gustaf, our main chef, prepare dinner. But I nearly jumped when Faith sat down next to me.

"Does not the missus want to eat upstairs in her room? I'm sure it's much more comfortable than down here in the dreary kitchen," Faith said shyly.

"No thanks. I like it down here. It's more natural. There's dirt here, there's yelling, but best of all, there's laughing," I replied sadly. People in my house did not laugh anymore.

"Oh yes! We laugh at much! But we would take much pleasure from living where you do."

"No you wouldn't. You know in the U.S. Constitution? With freedom thing? I know I'm a minor and all, but I have no freedom to do anything and I have to act like a girl from the 1800's every time a guest comes over!"

Faith just shook her head, "Aye, but you never have to worry about money, or really, anything. Except school. But your life is and always will be one filled with luxury."

I shook my head and said, "I have appearances to keep up. You don't. I'll admit my life is one filled with luxury. But with that comes responsibility. It's all about your image…"

Faith came over and patted my head. This was out of character for her.

"Don't worry dear. I understand. No one's happy where they are, but _you_ have to make it your home and be happy. Accept it and _then_ you can move on and be happy where _you _want to be happy."

I had never heard wiser words spoken. A silent 'Oh my god' passed through my lips. She was right.

"Faith! Faith! Come here!"

Both our heads snapped up, and then she was running off towards the sound of the voice after throwing me an apologetic glance.

That night, I just sat in my room reading. I looked up at the sound of the servants checking in on me. At 11, I set my book down and got up to turn out the lights. I stopped at the door when I heard voices. My mother's voice.

"She's still here? Well, that's a miracle. Tell her I said thank you for not ruining the night with her untimely rebellions."

That hurt. She couldn't even get up to say thank you? What, was she too busy reading her tabloids and fixing her hair to care? I felt the burn of tears dare to spill over, but I held them back.

I held my head high. If what Faith said was right, once I escaped the suffocating hold of my parents, then my life could be what I wanted it to be. When I went to bed, I dreamed of Edward.

On Saturday I got a call from an unknown number. I answered it; it was Edward.

"Hey beautiful, what's up?"

Did he really just call me beautiful? My heart sang.

"Well, I'm having a party planning session today. Can you come?"

"Yup," he said, popping the p.

"Sweet! Um, be here by 11. Do you know my address?"

"Bella, everyone knows your address," and then he hung up.

I quickly got dressed in a Gucci sun dress, ran a brush through my hair and hopped downstairs to grab breakfast.

"Aw honey you look amazing. Nice job with the makeup. You're glowing!" my mother complimented me when I entered the kitchen. I froze. First of all, I wasn't wearing any makeup. Second, my mom said something positive to me. Third, why was she in the kitchen?

"Oh, morning mom. Why are you in the kitchen?"

"Well, I was hungry and felt like walking down to the kitchen. And I need to arrange the food for when your friends come over. How many are coming over?"

"Uh, six. Alice, Emmett, Edward, Jasper and Rosalie," I listed off for her.

I heard a sharp intake of breath followed by a question that I didn't want to answer, "Who's Edward?"

I did not know if he was a friend or a boyfriend-to-be or a project.

"Um…he's a friend mom."

"Just a friend?"

I blushed, which gave me away.

"Don't worry honey, I won't say anything. How come I haven't heard his name before? Oh, he's the new kid."

My parents got a list and background check from the school for every kid that might be a danger to me. I was glad Edward passed.

When everyone had finally arrived and we were settled in my bedroom, I began our 'meeting.'

"Okay people, we're going to throw a party to welcome Edward to this school!" I clapped my hands, because it was technically his initiation and welcome party in one.

Alice caught on quickly and said, "So it's like his initiation?" I gave one quick bob of my head. Edward frowned.

"Oh so we're only going to invite people like us," Emmett said.

No no no! They were getting it all wrong!

I said it in my normal voice, though I felt like screaming, "No! We're going to invite everyone! He has to be accepted by everyone, not just 'people like us'."

Edward shook his head and said, "I thought you weren't into that kind of stuff. And who are 'people like us?'"

Rosalie was first to answer, "They're popular people, people we like, or people who've been and/or are our projects. And you're right, Bella isn't into it, but she still knows and follows the rules."

I rolled my eyes.

"Moving on! I think we should have it green at his house," I continued.

"Green and brown, honey," Edward said, and then blushed. Did he just call me honey? I was in seventh heaven already. Surprisingly, all my friends stayed quiet.

"Why green and brown? Your eyes are green, so I think it'd work."

"Your eyes are brown." And then he stared into my brown eyes with his intense green ones. Someone cleared their throat. I shook my head and we continued planning.

At school, I saw Edward.

"Hey handsome. What's up?" I asked calmly.

"Nothing much except I'm walking with the most beautiful girl in the world."

I smiled. We were flirting, but was I really the most beautiful girl? Before I could say anything though, Jessica came up to me.

"Stay away from him Queen Bee, he's mine," she hissed in my ear.

I was shocked. No one had ever talked to me like that. And I was going to make sure no one ever did again.

"Oh really? I don't see your name on him."

"So? He's mine. And once I have him, I won't care what you have to say to me. And everyone will like me, not you."

Wow, her head was delusional. I knew her father was a janitor at the school. I knew her mother worked at The Club. But I wasn't going to expose those secrets. She had her fly down on her skirt. Everyone was listening and watching our confrontation. Perfect.

"Okay, but your fly's down," I whisper-shouted to her, so everyone could hear.

She turned tomato red but still had the nerve to say, "Too bad. He's still _mine_!"

I sneered at her and placed my hands on Edward's shoulders and kissed him on the lips for ten seconds. People wolf-whistled and snickered; I felt Edward begin to respond and move his lips against mine. But I was no amateur; I chuckled and gave him a quick peck on the lips before smiling at Jessica before strutting down the hall. It was her fault for messing with me.

**Edward's Point of View**

I stood there, shocked, while people began to clap me on the back. That was the best kiss ever. I saw Jessica rush down the hall, crying.

I guess she had it coming; I almost felt bad for her. But still, she shouldn't speak to Bella like that! And I wasn't property to be won. Unless it was Bella. I shook my head, attempting to clear it. Ah! What was wrong with me?

I heard two girls whispering behind me.

"Yeah, Jessica's father is a janitor! I'm sure Bella knows too, because her father knows everyone who works here, and he probably told her too. And Jessica's mother works at The Club. Bella's dad just bought it two weeks ago, so I'm sure she knew about that too!"

"Wow, that was really nice of her to not say any of that. But how do you know?" the other whispered, attempting to be quiet.

"Well, my dad's principle, so he told me about that. And he went to The Club to talk to Senator Swan and, well, they recognized Jessica's mom."

I was astonished once again. Bella really was a kind person. How could I ever have thought differently?

First period passed quickly, and by second, I was eager to talk to Bella.

When I got into the gym, everyone was surrounding Bella. But when they saw me, they spread apart and let me join their 'circle'.

"Hey Bella."

"Hey Edward. Wow, they let you cross the 'line'. They must really like you," she joked. I laughed.

During volleyball, she was kind to my team. She even let us beat her team. Although, everyone knew that she could easily defeat us, so we knew that we were just lucky.

Outside, I took her warm hand in mine and felt an electric current surge between us. I smiled and she sidled up a little closer to me.

Outside Social Studies, which we had together, I faced her. Pulling my face down close to hers, I said, "Bella, I know I've only know you a couple of days but I feel like I've know you forever. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I never had much experience with this type of thing, but I thought I did pretty well if I could say so myself. I heard her gasp before she crushed her lips to mine. I took that as a yes. "Is that a yes?" I knew the answer but I just wanted to hear her say it.

"Yes, yes it is." Then Mrs. Benson, our teacher, rushed us through the door, ruining the moment. But we held hands and ignored the glares from our fellow students. I was really looking forward to this school year.

**Bella's Point of View**

It had been one month since I've even attempted escaping from my house. I had also been going out with Edward for a month. The conversation about it had been…interesting.

_"That first day we met, I asked if you were a good girl. You seemed nice. And are nice," he said randomly one day at the beach. _

_"Well, I would always sneak out my window to relax with the birds and the bees. At night," I had added when I felt guilty seeing the confused look on his face that said what's-so-bad-about-that? _

_"Bella! That was very dangerous! You could have been hurt! Or worse!"_

_"Hey, I at least took the SCAT bus to my park. Anyway, it was the only way to escape the screaming parents."_

_He was instantly regretful. "I'm so sorry Bella!" _

_He pulled me onto his shoulder, but I didn't lose my composure. I was brought up well._

My new best friend (among the household staff) was Faith. She really was a sweet person who was older than her years. I gave credit to her for my acceptance of my life. Once I got over it, I realized I was a lucky kid.

But my father, we were still distant. I remember when we would share everything. Now he goes away on business trips to talk to fellow business people and give speeches to our state. At least when he's away, life is better because there are fewer arguments with my mom.

I told myself life is better without him. But it was not. I missed him. I missed the heart-to-heart conversations we used to have.

_One night, about a week ago, Edward took me on a picnic at the park. As the light was fading, the stars came out. We lay on our backs with his arms wrapped around my waist. _

_"Are you cold?" he had asked me, being the considerate gentleman he was. But I was fine with his arms wrapped around me. _

_"No, I'm fine."_

_"I like this," he had said, "sitting here with you in my arms and gazing at the stars."_

_"I remember when my father once took me to a park in Yosemite. He pointed out Orion and Orion's belt. See? And, being the naïve little girl I was, I asked why he didn't just wear pants that fit him." _

_He laughed and I felt the rumbling of his chest underneath me. I laughed a little, but I was sad over what was lost. _

_"What's wrong Bella?" he asked, concerned. _

_"That was the night a man came up and said my father would make an excellent senator. My father wanted that more than anything. So they left me on the bench while they discussed everything in a bar across the street."_

_He pulled me onto his shoulder once again, but I still did not cry. I could not cry. _

There was one week until the election. My father was stressed; it was going to be a narrow win for whoever won.

Everyone at school was wishing me and my family good luck. But I was not sure if we needed it.

Would it be good luck if my father won? Then he would become even more distant. But he really wanted it. So it would only be fair. But would it be good luck for my mom and I? We would have no testosterone in the house and the arguments and fights would cease to exist with him in Washington D.C. But I knew I loved him and did not want to watch him leave again. I knew that I needed him in my life.

I came to terms with this fact at the party we had held for Edward. It was an amazing party, but…I realized that everyone else was daddy's little girl. I was not.

_I remembered the talk I had with my parents last night. First, I talked to my mother. About my father, about how I missed him, about how I did not want him to leave again. She had really changed the past months; she smiled sympathetically at me and told me to tell him that. _

_I went to his study, where a warm, golden glow cast shadows on the dark red walls. Knocking on the open door to tell him I was there, I stepped in. His head, which was buried in a book, snapped up. _

_"Dad? I need to talk to you."_

_"Bella, can't this wait? I need to read this…" he said, impatient. _

_I stared at him as the pain began in my heart blossomed, enveloping my whole body and seeped down towards my numb legs. He never had enough time for me. Was I not good enough? _

_I began to step out, give him time and talk to him after the election. But then I stopped. It was imperative he heard this. I stood firm and held my ground._

_"No dad. I need to talk to you _now_."_

_He was surprised by the firm tone of my voice. I almost felt ashamed, but I knew this was important. _

_"Can't you see I'm busy? You women always think that the world revolves around you! But I'm the one supporting my family! And I can't get any work done around here with you women talking to me every five minutes! Here's my credit card," he took it out of his wallet and threw it at me, "now please, please leave me alone!" _

_I could feel the tears burning, my composure threatening to escape. _

_"You never have time for me or mom! If you did, then you'd know that I've already gone to the mall! You'd know that I wouldn't interrupt you for something as stupid as a credit card! I know the world doesn't revolve around me, but it doesn't revolve around you either! I said I needed to talk to you! I'm a person dad, I'm your daughter! Mom and I have stood by you every second of your campaign, supporting you, keeping up your image! And you can't find one second to talk to us? To tuck me in at night? To even ask how my day was? I hate you and your stupid campaign!" I screamed at him and stormed out of the room, sobbing tears that would not come. _

_I thought I saw him look back at his book and continue reading. _

I gasped when I felt warm arms wrap around my waist. I whipped my head around to see my boyfriend laughing. I scowled then kissed him. I quickly pulled away when I realized we were in a public place where the media was present.

Edward and I were at the front row to hear who got elected. People were milling around us and paparazzi were snapping pictures of important people present. Camera crews were interviewing people and filming the imminent election.

A man in a green suit walked up on the podium and began his speech.

"Welcome everyone! And thank you very much for coming to this election. It is greatly appreciated! The two running candidates, Mr. Swan-"

People started clapping wildly, cheering and whistling. The man seemed nervous and wiped his hand across his forehead where beads of sweat were beginning to form in the sweltering heat of March.

"and Mr. Janeck!" People erupted into cheers again.

"Mr. Swan, a determined advocate of…." And the man continued with his speech while the sun crept up overhead.

I leaned my head against Edward's shoulder. I wished that the man would just shut up- no one was listening anyway- and just announce the winning candidate. Then I would confront my doubts and decide whether or not to be joyous or disappointed.

"-and now, for the moment you've all been waiting for! Drum roll please-"

People began banging on their knees and the babbling ceased. No longer were birds such as pigeons and doves seen flying overhead; the sun's rays were uninterrupted by any passing clouds. Suddenly the crowd stood still and only the shuffling of paper was heard as the man struggled to find the paper that had thousands of people gathered here.

"He should be fired!" I whispered to Edward. All he had to do was find a sheet of paper that would determine how I would spend my life for the next couple of years-either wallowing or ecstatic.

"Don't worry honey, he'll say it soon enough," Edward replied, rubbing circles in my back. I smiled. Where would I be without him? Even my friends liked him.

I kissed him on the cheek before turning my attention back to the man that was flipping frantically for the winning ballot.

Clearly his throat, he stuttered, "Um, well, it seems to have been l-l-lost and I-I guess we'll have to c-continue this at a l-later t-time."

People began to boo and scream. One lady, with two frightened kids, screeched, "You know what?! You know what?! I came here to see who won and would be senator of my state, not to stand here in the hot sun and get nothing you stupid-" she was cut off my father.

"That's enough!" everyone stopped talking at once, "We all came here to see who won, but that's not happening. So I ask you to file out and enjoy the day's festivities." And he began to step down off the platform. The crowd was still grumbling, but it was merely background noise now.

"OH OH WAIT!" the man shouted. Everyone turned to glare at him. But this time he held a small piece of white paper triumphantly in his right hand.

"And our new senator is SENATOR SWAN! Congratulations Mr. Swan!"

The crowd jumped up and cheered, waving banners and bouncing

Some guy with a camera crew began walking up to me. I knew what he was going to say. But I didn't know how I was going to answer.

Well, I'd tell him I was proud and excited for my father. But I didn't know what to tell myself. But before the man could reach me, my father stepped up to the microphone and spoke to the crowd.

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen that voted for me. I greatly appreciate it and the hard work and dedication my volunteers showed. But I truly appreciate the dedication of my daughter and wife."

I was stunned. What was he doing? I had just decided to seclude myself in the limo until I felt like talking to him again, but I had to find out what he was doing first.

"I was so absorbed in my politics, in my campaign, that I didn't realize what was going on with my family. I didn't have time to tuck in my baby girl anymore, to kiss my wife goodnight. I rarely had time for family dinners. I didn't have a chance to watch my baby girl grow up into a young woman. Last night, she came to talk to me and I ignored her; I thought that what Confucius had to say was more important. But after she left, I couldn't read. I couldn't think. I spent hours in my bed, tossing and turning, trying to do what was right for my family. These past years, it's been an honor working with my dedicated volunteers. And I feel honored by all those that voted for me. It was through hard work and dedicated labor that we've won this race. But," he paused, "I must say that politics have turned me into an ugly man who no longer has time to watch his only child grow up. Whoever said 'Better late than never' was wrong," he said bitterly. "It's too late to watch my child go to school for the first time, to drive a car for the first time, to go to her first wild, crazy party! Now, I'll hopefully have more time. Time to watch my daughter receive her acceptance letters, go to college, and though I missed her transformation into a young woman, I can watch her transformation into an adult. Without the pressure of the media and the public eye. Once again, it's been an honor working with you and thank you to all of my dedicated voters. Now give a hand for our new senator, Mr. Janek!"

My mouth fell open in surprise. I quickly snapped it shut. Did my father really just give up? No, he simply handed his job over to his enemy. The job he worked so hard for, the job that he loved. I looked over to my mother and she was hugging her husband with tears glistening in her eyes.

My mom was crying in public? What has the world come to? I looked away and made a run for it. I needed place to think. Edward understood and released me, kissing me on my head.

But before I could make it to the limo, my father caught me in a hug. The whole time, he was murmuring things like, "I'm so sorry baby, can you ever forgive me?"

Once again, I was stunned. Then I decided to wrap my arms around my father and hug him back.

"Daddy?" I whispered tentatively.

"Yes baby?"

"I know how Orion got up there. When he died, he was loved by so many people who didn't want to see him go. So he got up in the sky, so people will always remember him," I

whispered so only he could hear my childish revelation. I felt like jumping for joy; I finally had my father back.

He laughed and I giggled, tears dripping out of the corners of our eyes. Then a boom of thunder clapped over head. There was a rush to get under cover. Drivers took umbrellas and held them over their passenger's head. God forbid they get wet.

"Missus? Would you like an umbrella?" Someone asked me. Everyone else was under an umbrella and my mom was ushering me underneath one.

"No thanks. I'd rather stay in the rain," I said, and giggled at his expression. I rolled my eyes and gave him a five dollar bill anyway. He smirked and walked away.

My mother was waving her hand and looked outraged that I was getting my Mui Mui dress wet. Oh well. We only wore clothes once, so it didn't matter.

I stood in the rain and spun in circles, watching the water droplets fall and land like crystals in on my skin. Pictures were being taken by numerous people, but for once, I did not care. Let the world see me twirling like a ballerina. Not like I had an image to protect anymore.

Edward came up behind me and whispered in my ear. I nearly jumped.

"Mind if I join you?"

I laughed and kissed him, running away before he could react. He started chasing me and everyone was amused by our antics.

"Come on Dad! Don't you want to play in the rain?" I shouted as I ran.

He looked nervous and unsure, then stepped out and got his Armani suit wet. I ran up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist, soaking him.

Then I let go and simply said, "You're it!" and ran away from him too. Soon I had two people on my tail.

"Mom! Help me!" I wailed. I was truly surprised when she did. The press was having a field day, watching the second-most powerful family in the state play in the rain. We eventually ended up posing for the camera in group photos. It was the best day of my life.

When the tabloids came out, we were on the cover of every magazine and in the news. My favorite one was when I was twirling, my head back, with sparkling drops of water everywhere. Water was flying off my hair and dress and I looked like I didn't have a worry in the world. Which I didn't at that point. Except college. But that could wait.

"Bella! Where are you? We're going to start it without you!" my mom called.

I sprinted down the stairs and into the family room. Wrapping Edward's arms around me, we watched _Breakfast at Tiffany's_, the lady's reward for winning at the game of tag we all had played at the election.

The men didn't mind. They had a chance to spend time with their women. There was nothing else in the world they'd rather do.

**Just some cute little BxE fluff! Please leave a review!**


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